


Learning Redstone.

by mochii112



Category: Hermitcraft, Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Bdubs gets excited, Doc learns redstone, Etho is excited, Fluff, Other, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24532888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochii112/pseuds/mochii112
Summary: It had only been a few days after the NHO had made and welcomed Doc into their family when Etho decided that he wanted to do the impossible, and teach a creeper how to do redstone. It turns out, however, that Doc has a knack for redstone, which, for some reason, is easier get a grasp of than basic motor functions.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 147





	Learning Redstone.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sekrap](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekrap/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Parting Glass](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24198208) by [Sekrap](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekrap/pseuds/Sekrap). 
  * Inspired by [The Parting Glass](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24198208) by [Sekrap](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekrap/pseuds/Sekrap). 



> In all honesty, the only reason I got ao3 is so that I can give credit where credit is due. I'm thoroughly enjoying Sekrap's new series.

The sun was slowly beginning to sink below the tree line of the vast jungle, and the darkness of the night was already beginning to envelop the entire world. However, despite the passage if time, there were two who were unwilling to sleep just yet.

"Etho. E-tho. Say it with me, Doc. E t h o"

"Eesssho..... Etsssso..... Eeetssssso..."

"Jeez, how did Bdubs manage this?"

Etho stared at the creeper, completely dumbfounded, to which the creeper responded by tilting his head curiously. It had only been a day or two since they had rescued this creature, and it was already growing a lot more than Etho could have ever expected from this freak of nature.

Etho had reemerged from the mines that day, only to be met with a beaming Bdubs and a very impressed Beef. Even Doc was beaming with a new emotion, imitating the smile that had kept him company that day, as well as the ability to say two words. 'Doc', and 'Bdubs'.

Etho wanted to give it a shot, and it wasn't nearly as easy as Bdubs made it out to be. Despite taking off his mask to articulate his speech more clearly, it was not enough to help the creeper. Still, progress was progress, and Doc was obviously trying his best.

The hermit uncurled his fist and revealed a handful of cocoa beans, presenting it to Doc. "Here. I can't hold out on you forever" He gave the creeper a smile, which, quite surprisingly, the creeper returned as he took the beans, hissing happily as he began to eat.

Etho let out a sigh, watching the flames of the campfire flicker, its warm hue comforting under the vast darkness of the night sky. Etho watched as Doc, who was practically his creation, happily munched on the rare fruit if the jungle, clearly enjoying the food more than the man's company. Even still, the creature was now a part of their little NHO family, someone who all three had quickly grown fond of, especially after his friendly demeanour that day. If his toothy grin meant anything, it must have been something good.

His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of arms wrapping around his own. Startled, Etho turned to look in the direction of his left arm, only to realise that Doc was clinging on to him tightly.

"Um, hey buddy. I don't have any more food for you" Etho spoke nervously, as though he were afraid to disappoint the creeper, and be deserted for his uselessness.

Doc, however, didn't budge, simply beginning to purr onto Etho's arm which caused the man's eyes to widen in surprise.

As far as he was aware, Doc had avoided Etho completely, unless he had cocoa beans to feed the creature. The hermit had grown accustomed to watching Doc run away with the goods as soon as he could, staring at his demented reflection curiously as he ate. This wasn't what he had been expecting, but it was a very pleasant surprise.

"I think Bdubs mentioned this..." Etho mumbled under his breath, trying his best to not squeal at the sight. When Bdubs had claimed that he had hugged the creeper, who actually seemed to like the interaction, Etho had refused to believe him. Now, he was experiencing a softer side to Doc that he didn't even know existed.

As the surprise finally began to wear off, Etho realised that the creeper was ready to fall asleep, still latched tightly onto his arm. He groaned internally, knowing that he'd be joining Doc by the campfire that night, though he couldn't find it in himself to stay mad. He needed to maintain the trust, and the soft purrs that filled the jungle air was enough to keep any man sane.

"Goodnight, Doc" Etho found himself mumble, which was responded with a happy little hiss.

"Etho..." The creeper mumbled under his breath, and Etho had to use everything in his power to prevent himself from ruining the moment by running around and squealing in excitement.

-

It had only been a couple of days before Etho once again found himself alone with Doc. He had been in charge of helping him out with motor functions in the mines, but right now was not that time.

Etho was working with redstone in the space underneath their base, deciding that he wanted to make a door really quickly. He hadn't noticed that a curious creeper that had followed him down.

"Doc, stop! Don't eat the redstone!" He called out, but it was much too late. The creeper had already licked a speck of the magical dust, and much to Etho's alarm, refused to spit it out. Luckily, he didn't start eating the rest of the contraption, so the taste must have not been too pleasant.

"What are you even doing here" Etho sighed, though his fallen expression curled back into a smile as the creeper hugged him from the side.

"Etho... friend..." Doc smiled, clearly proud of himself for learning a new word. Etho was aware that Beef had been teaching him some English, and that was clearly going well.

"Yes. Friend. We're friends"

The creeper beamed with pride, as though he had understood those words. Etho liked to think that he did, though it was the familiarity of the words that had sparked Doc's excitement, as well as the fact that he had gotten Etho's approval. It couldn't be said how much he understood the words that he had been taught, but the progress was already pretty decent.

"Friends!" Doc spoke proudly, elongating the 's' sound since he was most familiar with that. Etho pulled down his mask to reveal a smile, and Doc hissed happily in response.

Doc then pointed in the direction of many trails if redstone, all being used to power up the contraptions in the base. The bright red hues had caught his attention immediately, and the little sparks of technology flickered and glowed in the dark room. Doc didn't know what the substance was, but he was drawn to it. Maybe there was a feeling of familiarity, a recognition towards it all, because it was the redstone that powered half of his body.

"Oh, this." Etho spoke, and Doc swore that he saw something light up in the man's eyes. Expressions spoke volumes, and Doc was glad that the man had his mask off for the time being. "Follow me, and I'll show you" He gestured for Doc to follow, and that he did.

The two climbed up the ladder and out of the hole that Etho had been working in. Though, the man had to pull the creeper half of the way up since he seemed more familiar with the concept of going down rather than up.

Doc watched curiously as his friend attached some of the red dust to a button, causing it to flare up slightly when he pressed it. Seemingly satisfied, he turned his attention back to Doc.

"Now, look at that wall over there" He spoke in a way that Doc would understand easily understand, being extremely expressive with his gestures. Doc looked over at the wall, tilting his head in confusion as to what was being pointed out.

All of a sudden, the sounds of pistons filled the air, and Doc watched with wonder as the wall moved, revealing the insides of that section of their base. It was pretty simple, but Etho was excited to see if Doc would be interested in the stuff.

And Doc was very much interested in the mechanisms, rushing towards the opening to inspect it. He stepped in and out repeatedly, sniffing around the place as he tried to figure out where the door had gone. All he got was a strong whiff of redstone, and the creeper began to wonder if that had anything to do with this.

After a few minutes of searching the general area for answers, Etho beckoned for him to come back. Once he did however, he pushed the button and the wall returned, though Doc was observing it more closely this time around. The blocks moved very mechanically, and the creeper recognised the technology to be most certainly man made. He rushed back to the door to take a closer look, and like earlier, there was seemingly nothing out of place, aside from the strong scent.

"Why don't you try it?" Doc turned around in response to Etho's voice, who seemed to be pointing at the button. Doc walked over and examined it carefully, before pressing the tiny object. Once again, the door began to move and the creeper wondered if he had done that.

So he pressed it again.

And again.

The door opened and closed in accordance with the push of the button, and the fascination Doc had for the thing grew more every single time. He had seen the players do this from time to time in his days as a creeper, but he had never had the oppurtunity to actually use it, manipulate it.

"This will be a great chance for me to one up Bdubs!" Etho spoke once again, suddenly reminding Doc of his presence. "I'm gonna teach a creeper some redstone. How does that sound to you, Doc?"

Doc didn't yet understand his words, but the expression on his face was bright, and Doc couldn't help but smile in response, excited for whatever that would entail.

-

In the weeks that followed, Etho was realising that the creeper had a talent for redstone. After spending so long on teaching him words and basic motor functions, the redstone seemed like a breeze. In fact, Etho's biggest concerns, as of right now, was having Doc eat too much redstone and potentially get poisoned. He didn't have the faintest clue what a creeper's digestive organs were like, but redstone surely couldn't be any good.

He was glad that Doc couldn't explode more than once, because if he did, the redstone powering his body would have surely ignited the gun powder. Now that Etho thought about it, it was probably in the NHO's best interest to keep TNT, and by proxy the product of Doc's fallen brethren, far away from him. At least for now.

The two were in the far depths of the cave, with Etho explaining the mechanics behind the simple redstone circuits that helped to run a system. Doc had been extremely fast in picking up on torches and signals, and Etho had managed to briefly explain the workings of every object that would be needed in the span of a single day. This included repeaters, torches, pistons, sticky pistons, droppers, dispensers, and everything else along those lines.

The signals had unsurprisingly taken much longer to grasp than the components, the ticks and timings of repeaters and pulse extenders being more than enough to drive a normal person to insanity. However, Etho was pleasantly surprised when Doc pulled off each mini circuit successfully in less time than he had taken to correctly swing a pickaxe or light a torch. Teaching the creeper redstone had been infinitely more enjoyable than teaching him how to function normally.

Right now, Etho was explaining the simple circuits that form the baseline of any system, such as the t-flop that had initially caught his attention, or a lock system for passwords and key cards. It also included clever redstone tricks that helped fit the system to into compact spaces, as is crucial in a build that focused highly on aesthetics.

They had been fooling around all day, and with the click of a button, Doc had successfully made a combination lock for a piston.

"Great job, Doc! I'm glad you somehow find this easier than climbing up the stairs" Etho bantered, and Doc let out a slight laugh. He was still learning how to do that 

"I haven't always had two legs" He smiled, having a much better understanding of simple words, and now able to form coherent sentences. There were always times when he struggled to understand what the others were saying, but his vocabulary was slowly increasing, and the language gaps were beginning to close.

"Have you always eaten redstone? Because seriously, you need to stop. It's so difficult to get the stuff" Etho spoke in an obviously amused tone. "Surely it can't be good for you"

Doc smiled and shook his head. "It tastes good, and you do it too" The room fell into a fit of laughter, with Etho actively denying that fact. When it slowly died down, Etho spoke up once again.

"You know, you'd be surprised to know how many people find this stuff really difficult" Etho smiled, looking over at all of the many contraptions that they had created that day. "I'd say you're better at redstone than half the people I know"

"Surely not" Doc was baffled by the revelation, but Etho clearly wasn't exaggerating. "I was worried that you might have gotten frustrated because I was being slow"

"I've been nothing but impressed" Etho smiled, his expression clear in the way his eyes curled up, even behind the mask. "I expected this to take a lot longer than it did. I'll run out of things to teach you, unless you want to commit to getting to my level of redstone"

"Can't be that hard" Doc smirked, and the other man simply laughed.

"Oh, you've got a long, long way to go"

-

Bdubs had been told that they were getting an item sorter, and he couldn't have been happier. He had been struggling so hard to find his supplies as of late, and that simply made the building process take twice as long as it otherwise should. Needless to say, he was tired of digging through his chests only to find disappointment.

He had expected to see Etho connecting up redstone and making some crazy, over the top contraption just to show how superior he is in comparison to the redstoners on the mainland. However, he hadn't expected Doc of all people to be doing the same.

"Hey, Etho! How's- Doc?" Bdubs watched wide eyed, and both Etho and Doc exchanged a look before laughing.

The storage system looked massive and extremely complicated. Etho always made sure that no one else would hamper with his work, because it usually flew right over the head of most, and especially someone like Bdubs. So it would make absolutely no sense for someone incapable of redstone to be involved in one of his projects.

"What do you think, Bdubs? I taught a creeper some redstone! Isn't that awesome?" Etho beamed, and Bdubs immediately recognised his expression to be a proud smile.

"Wait, wait... you did what?!" Bdubs blinked in disbelief. However, it was indeed Doc who was covered in redstone and not his fellow hermit, who simply stood by and watched.

"Is this right?" Doc asked, stepping out of the wiring and back into the main room. Etho walked up to it and took a quick glance at all of the circuitry, completely unfazed. He placed a shulker box into the chest and listened as the hoppers clicked. He then began looking through the pre assigned chests for the resources.

"Yeah, everything's working well. We'll just cover it up and it should be ready to use." Etho spoke with an obviously impressed voice, and Doc smiled wide. This was his first real project.

Bdubs couldn't believe his eyes, nor his ears. "You're telling me that you taught him redstone?!"

"I told you this stuff's easy, you just never believed me" Etho laughed, while Bdubs just shook his head, mouth slightly agape.

"No, that stuff's really complicated! You two are just maniacs!" He rushed over to the input chest and threw in a bunch of random objects. Much to his amazement, it all ended up in the correct places. "So he built this thing himself??"

"With no help from Etho!" Doc added, and another wave of pride washed over both him and his mentor.

"Wait until Beef hears about this!" Bdubs spoke, extremely excited now that the shock was wearing off. "Oh, Etho, you madman! You're an absolute genius! First the prosthetics, and now this! The others are really gonna regret messing with the great NHO and its technical genius! Man, hugs and English has nothing on this"

"Hey, I would have gotten nowhere if he didn't understand me" Etho smiled, giving Doc a pat on the head. "Say, what do you think about building traps? That could be useful for any invasions in the future"

Doc's eyes lit up at the familiarity of the word. He had seen some traps around, and he had immediately decided that those were the best kind of contraptions. "Oh, heck yeah!"

Bdubs laughed and shook his head in dismay. "Oh, this can't be ending well"

_Fast forward to "Prologue: Part 3" where Doc kills Python with said trap._


End file.
